Amusement device



. April 16, 1929. H. T.Pul s|FER AMUSEMENT DEVICE Filed June l, 1927 `Pai-emga Apr. 16, 1929. Y

e U N1 r-ED ST AT ES Lutin HABQLMJULSHER. @Flammen Y- e appiicatign filed Jane i,

. My invention consi sts' the'novel features hereinafterdescribed,reference being had to Vthe accompanying' drawing which shows sev- Y la supporting? surface of ice is illustrated. Y v

eral embodiments Vof the inventionfsele'cted Y* 5` by inefor purposes of illustration, and the said invent-ion is fully disclosed in the folloyving description and claims. v

Y The esse'ntialfeature Vof the invention'is the l propulsion Vof passenger carrying, floating, 'Y v i rolling or 'slidingvehicles upon a suitable supf porting surface by nieaiisiof an artificially created Vdraft of'ai'r operating upon sailscarried by the vehicles, the'vehicles being' each capable of uncircumscribed and independent movement under the direction of an operator carried by the vehicle, who controls 'the dif" rection of movement by rvmeans of the sails and the usual` steering means with which lthe V.vehicles are ordinarily provided, for `the pur-k 20 pose of .amusement and; recreation. The supa 'Y portinfr surface maybe Water, ice, or a smoothA `floor orxpavemeiit, and bythe terni vehicle Il include sail boats,A vehicles on Wheels or rollers, ce boats or skates provided with run- 25 ners' or rollers. i ln the ,case of boats, vehicles.

on wheels or runners, and ice boats,rthe sails Hier be either 0f the Square@ *forel-andati: variety, and isiihfbeate .Or Vehicles i v1.11? be "provided with the' usual ysteeringmeans contrlledby 111 Operator Carried on the @hide the case of skaters, the sailswill ordinarily be similar to those usually employed inslat- -with the aid of. Wind in the (open, and

the .skates ivillbe steered 'bythe slater in the Y usual manner. In any embodiment of the invention the propelling draft of airis produced artificially by. Suitable air forcing l means, asa driving Qrsuctioirfan, orrfans, Within an enclosureenclosing the supporting` i0 .Surface which may be in the form Of 'allilk 'enclosing asurfac-e of large areaor a tunnel like structure enclosing along and narrow supporting surface, as preferred. n

` My invention may also be made to` serve an educational purpose in teacl'iing unskilled operators the use of propelling sails, and Where i the supporting surface isvvater and the propellcdfvehicles are sail boats,in teaching the rudiments of small boat handling,-

- .50 In the accompanying drawing, n. v Y

a Y lrepresentsa plan View of one embodinient of my invention-in Whichithe supporting surfaeeis a pool ofwater, the roof of the venclosing' structure ybeing removed;`

. 1927.- sertai' Np. 135,770.

Fig. 2 is vertical section ofthe 2 L'1i'an,g ,'cl

ment illustrated in Fior` 1, showing the roof i l o' of the enclosing' structure.

Fig. l31s a .viewsimilar to F 2, liii'wliich ment of' niy'invention in which a supporting surfaceof Water, indicatedat l, and contained in a suitable pool, or receptacle, 2, conveniently'provided'at one or more sides with a platform, 3, to afford roomv for spectators, and a landing place for the Yboats is-'enclosed in Y a suit-able building, the Walls of-yvhich are indicated at 4,'and the roof at 5. An artificial `Wind orV draf-t of air is caused to travel over .the supporting surfacein one or'more directions. n this instance, Ihave shown fans,

6 andZ-'arranged at opposite ends of the" building rout of alignment with each other, and providedivith W1de,no zzles,`7 andfS, respectively', for discharging blasts ofv 'air over the surface of .the Water and longitudi-y nally ofthe building, on opposite sides' ofits longitudinal center and inopposite directions respectively, although I do vnot Wish to be limited to'this particular arrangement.` l

have alsoy shoi'yn' each ofthe fans provided Wit-liaiiaring intake, indicated at 9 and l0,

respectively, connected b suitable pipes, v11v and 12, With the fan casings, the intake for each kfan being located inalignm'entwith the discharge nozzleof-the fan atl the opposite end of the'building. 'This arrangement'pro- )videsfan interior circulation entirely Within the building and independent of the'exterior Y atmosphere. The fans Imay be' voperatedby suitable means, and I have indicated' in Figi, motors atl and 14,'for this purpose.' in' this instance, fl have shown'a plurality of 'small boats ati 15, each of which is provided with a main sail, 16, jib, 16, rudder, 17', and tiller, .18."v arrangement of sails may be ofa'ny ,desiredcharacteneither sq'uarje'er fore-.andaft-,tand in the present in-y stance Iliave shown' each ofthe boatsA providf ed With'fore-Qandlaft sails, Will enable it to be' operated'uncler 'the directionnof; the

r operator 'carried thereby .itherwithi agarit,

oracross the Wind, provided 'by'either of the liorv funs, v and 6. The boatsai'e entirely uncircumscribedin theiiinovements over the sup-` porting surface, except by the limitations ofl the pool, and can be inancevred at therWill of the operator and made to travel `in any vdesired direction by properly trimming the sails and operating the 'rudders bodiinent ofthe invention not only provides amusement, but also provides for the education of children and inexperienced persons in the rudiments ofsmall boat handling, en-V abling them to acquire a knowledge of setting and trimming a sail, steering aivind prpelled boat, makin-g landings,- etc;

. In Fig. 3,1 have illustrated a modification of the invention in which the corresponding parts are given the same reference numerals,

`With the additionof 100. In this instance.,

the surface isice, indicated at 101, which may be artificially frozen byvnieaiisy ofsuitable refrigeiating pipes, indicated at 1 20, with Qvvhiigh the pool, 102, may be provided. vIn

HS- y this instance, vehicles suitable to thesupporting surface Will beprovided, and I have shoivn, for example, ice boats, indicated at- 115, provided with supporting runners, indi-v cated at 115, one of which is provided with a tiller, 118, for steering the boat,vvhich is provided with the usual main sail, 116, and yjib, 1161. I have also illustrated askater at 121, provided Withl suitable ice skates, indi-k cated at 122, and carrying propelling'sails, 123, in this instance secured to across bar, which is held in the hands of the skater in the usual inanner,the direction of movement of the skater being determined according to Vhis own inclination by properly guiding the 1 skates and. manipulating the sails,` 123.

will -be understood that the supporting surface may be provided` Withiceboats only., or

may be used entirely by skaters operating by the aid of sails under the action ofthe artificial draft of air, or the surface may be used forboth purposes, as preferred.

In Figi 4, I have illustrated another modilication of my invention. in which the correspending,- parts tothose in Figs. 1 and 2 are given the same refeiencenumerals with the addition of 200. y In this instance` the supporting surface is a floor, or pavement, indic'ated at 201, in an enclosing;f building. provided with afan, 206, or fans. for creating a draft of air overtlie supportiniij surface in tlicfsaine manner as lieieinbefore described with rcfeieuceto Figs. 1 and 2. In this in- L stance the supporting' surface may bepro- `vided with Wheeled vehicles, as at 215, provided with sails, as at 2164 and 2161, for

an1ple,rand having a suitable steering-Wheel, indicated at 218, forguiding the vehicles over thesurface in any desired direction under the ,influence of the articial draft of air." The surface mayn also be used by skaters, 221, proi videdWith roller skates, 222, and the usual skate propelling sails, indicated at 223, and carried by the skaters in the'same manner as in the case of ice skates, or in any other desired Way. The arrangement shown in Fig.

L tmay be usedl for skaters alone, or for Wheeled vehicles, Vor both, as may be, preferred. Y -v In Fig. 5, I have shown another einbodt ment'of my invention in Which the corre-A spending` parts tor those shown in Figs. 1

and 2 are vgiven thesame refe-rence numeralswith the addition of 300. In this figure the supporting' surface is enclosed. by a tunnel -likestructurg or structures, and swept longitudinally by an artificial draft lof air in one vdirection only, so that the movement of the vehicles and their passengers will proceed in substantially the same general direction, While 'permitting them to be guided Within the limitations of the lateral Width of Vthe tunnel` which will be sulliciently greater than that of any vehicle,to permit a certain free- Y rdom and independence of movement of the vehicle. In the form illustrated in Fig. 5, I 4have shown a-vpair of ltunnels arranged side by side. and communicating at their ends, as

this fori'ns'a convenient arrangement and en` v ablesthe vehicles to proceed in one direction through one tunnel and return-to the starting lpointthrougli the other. As shown in Fie. 5.

tne enclosing biiildingrcomprises the side Walls, 304, and a central partition, 304, With an appropriate roof structure, not shown, the side walls and partition being shown insection. The partition is shown as of less length than the building, and the side Walls are conveniently connected by curved end Walls,

`304", thus forming tivo 4tunnel like passages communicating at their extremities ivith each oth er, by the apertures. 304, between the ends Y of the' partition the adjacent end Walls.

"In this instance, I have shown the building eachv discharging' anaititicial draft of air longitudinally of one of the tunnel sections.

vThe air from one tunnel may bepermitted toV pass into the other tunnel through the aperturc. 304. remote from the fan. if desired. suitable means being provided` for the escape of surplus air. as bv ventilators in the roof, or-Imay provide a llarinp; intake. 309. at the end of each tunnel remote from the fan and communicating with the. fan for the other tunnel, shown in Fin. 5. A suitable land- "ine platform indicated at 303. may be provided at one or both ends of the building.

the4 present instance, I have shown it provided with such a landingplatform at one end` only. It lwill be obvious tliat'jthe ai'-k rangement shown in Fig can beeinployed with a supporting surface of. ice, or with a floor orpaveinent, and that suitable vehicles provided with runners or \vlieels,-or rollers,` may be employed. in connection with suoli surface, and they may also be used `with appropriate skates and sails carried by. the

skaters. In this form of my invention, the kartificial draft of air Wili be forced longitudinally of the tunnel, carrying the vehicles before it, the occupants of the. vehicles, or

the skaters, as. the case may be, directing their movements Within the limitation of the Width of the tunnel,A andin the embodiment Aofiiny `invent-ion shown in Fig-` 5, passing fromv one .tunnel to the other at the ends therel Vof around Vthe respective ends of the partition, 3043. v i y It will be seen that in all the embodiments ofthe invention the vehicles, WithinWhich y `term Iinclude skates used by skaters carrying propelling sails, are moved overthe enclosed supporting surface byan artificialdraft of `air undertlie guidancev of the operators car- 1 ried thereby, Without beingcircumscribed by a. Vvided with sai-ling boats, unskilled and immaturej operators Will readily acquire .the rudi- Y Vments-ofsmall boathandling under conditions which are free from thedangers attendinglther use .of small boats by inexperienced persons upon open Water.

' any commongniding orpropelling means, tlie said vehicles being Wholly unconnected With respect to each other. In all forms ofthe in'- vention, in addition to theamusementand recreation provided, there will be an educational effect in the use of handlingorpropelling sails, and in the case of a Watersurface pro- I also Wishitto be understood that the einbodiments of my invention are illustratedherein in a more or less diagrammatic manner,v and thatvariations maybe made in the con struction and arrangement of the means for carrying my invention into effect Without departing from the spiiitfof the invention.` While I have shown my invention embodied -ii'i connection With support-ing surfaces enclosed Within a building, I desire itto be un- Y derstood that it isA also applicable to the propulsion of passenger carrying'sail propelled r vehicles such as described herein, upon unen.-

i closed 'supporting sui-faces, as for examplea small. pond in the open, altiiough obviously theL tion comprising an enclosedv supporting surface vfor supporting passenger carrying vehi- V cles provided with sails and guiding-devices operable by passengers carried thereby, andk means for producing an artificial draft of air oversaid surface for the purpose of propelling said-vehicles.

2.- Apparatus for amusement and recreation comprising an enclosed vsupporting surface,

means for producing an artificial Vdraft of air over said surface, and passenger carrying vehicles lprovided With sails movable over said ksurface independently of each other under the guidance 'of operators carried thereby.

Apparatus for amusement and'recreation comprising an renclosed Vsupporting surface,

,means for producingzan artificial draft of air over said surface, and passenger carrying vehicles provided With sails and steering means,

the sails and steering means of 'each vehicle being capablek of being operated byl an opera tor carried thereby, to determine the. direc. tion of movement imparted to each of said vehicles by the .draft of air, said vehicles being unconnected and movable independently of eachother. f

4. Apparatus foramusement and recreation comprising an enclosing building, a horizont-al supporting su'rfacewithin the same,a

plurality of air forcing'deviCes-.for producing artificial drafts of air in dide'rent directions .-oversaid supporting surface, andin- `dependently movable sail propelled vehicles movable over said surface'v and capable of being steered by an operator carriedv thereby. l

5. Apparatus for amusement and recreation comprising an enclosing building, a horizontal supporting'surface Within thes'aine, an air forcing device located at one endfof the building'anddischai-ging, an artificial draft ofi air over a portion of said surface, an airv forcing device located at the opposite end of. the building for producing an 'artificial'draftvof air yover another portion of tliesaid surface in the opposite direction, and independent sail propelled vehicles movable independently over said surface L and capableofbeing steeredL by 'Operators carried thereby.

6. Apparatus yfor amusement and recreation comprising an enclosing building, a Vhorizontal supporting surface Within the saine, an air forcing device located at one end of thebuilding and discharging an artip 0 ncial draft of air over a portion of said surface, anair forcing device located at the opposite endof the building artificial draft of air over another portion of the said surface in the oppositedirection, and

independent sail propelled vehicles movable independently/over said surface and capable of oeing steered by operators carried thereby,

for producing an each'. ofV said air forcing devices being pro-,v

vided with an intake in substantial alignment Vwith the air forcing device` atvthe opposite end of said ysupporting surface. v, ,7; Apparatus for amusement and 'recreation comprising an enclosing building, provided i with a longitudinal partition dividing it into parallel Vpassages communicating vvith each Gir.

`other adjacent to ,the ends of the building,

and pr'ovided with a horizontal supporting surface, means for producing an artificial draft of air over said surface. in opposite directions on opposite sides of said partition, and passenger carrying Vvehiclesy `provided ficial draft of air over said surface in opposite directions on opposite sides of said partition, and passenger carrying vehicles provided with propellingsails adapted to be moved longitudinally through saidpassages over said supporting surface by said draft of air, said vehicles being unconnected With respect to each other-and provided With iii ,dependent steering means operable by an operator carried by the vehicle.

9. Apparatus for amusement and recreation comprising an enclosing building provided With a centrally located partition dividing it into separated longitudinalpassages communicating with each other adjacent to the ends of the building, air forcing Vdevices at opposite ends of t-hel buildingfor producing a draft of air longitudinally V through eachof saidpassages in a direction opposite toV that of the draft of air in the ad-` jacent passage, a horizontal supporting surface Within each of said passages, and independently. movable passenger carrying vehicles provided with propelling sails and steering mechanism operableby passengers carried by the vehicles, movable over said supporting surface through said passages under the influence ofV the draft of air passing therethrough. y

l0. Apparatus for amusement and recreation comprising an 'enclosing building provided with a centrally located partition viding itinto separated longitudinal passagescommunicating with eachother adjacent to the ends of the building, air forcing devices at opposite ends of the building for producing a draft of air longitudinally through each of said passages in a direction opposite to that of the draft of air in the adjacent passage, a horizontal supporting sur- Within each of said passages, andindependently movable passenger carrying veliicles provided With propelling sails `and steering mechanism operable by Ypassengers carried by the vehicles, movable over said supporting surface through said passages under the influence of the draft of air passing therethrough, and ineans for creating the air draft at the endof each passage remote from the air forcing device therefor, and delivering it to the air forcing device for the adjacent passage.

1l. Apparatus 'for amusement and recreation comprising unconnected passenger carrying vehicles provided vvitli sails and guiding devices operable bypassengers carried thereby, for propelling them and guiding them upon a supporting surface, and means fork producing an artificial draft of air over the supporting surface for the purpose of pro- Y pelling said vehicles.

In testimony whereof I afx my signature.

HAROLD T. PULSIFER 

